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GrassRoots Meats Newsletter
April
2020
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Upside Down World
I wish I could say "April Fools" and make this whole crazy Coronavirus pandemic go away, but it's not going to happen. While sadly so many of you are out of work, we have been inundated with orders and are having a hard time keeping up. We really appreciate your patience, and most especially your kindness, as we try our best to get boxes of meat shipped to you. Our supplies are running low, but we will be processing meat in April and May, so soon enough we will be back on track with a full selection. Right now we are lacking many items needed to make up our various meat packages, as well as beef quarters, halves, and wholes, so these items are temporarily unavailable on the website. As we run out of items we are trying to keep the website up to date.
We thank you for your orders and really appreciate that you turned to us during this crisis, and hope you won't forget us when this is all over. We also pray that our meats are helping protect your immune system, or helping you get well if you have been so unfortunate as to contract the virus. God bless you all with good health and happy times with your family.
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Back to Work at the Ranch
Lots of work going on here. While Allan is still recovering from his shoulder surgery, he is healthy and active and back to work getting the fields ready for the growing season.
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Our neighbor, Andy, and our grandson, Kyler,
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busy fixing a broken irrigation pipe.
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Kyler and Reece harrowing the fields.
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Garden Update
We planted the greenhouse last week. I had a nice reprieve this winter and am ready to get my hands in the dirt again, so this is exciting. We planted onions, lettuce, radishes, carrots, kale, green beans, lima beans, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, sweet peas, cantaloupe, watermelons, squash, peppers, tomatoes, and cabbage. Not sure how well each will do in the greenhouse, but every year is an experiment, and I am always hopeful. I planted earlier this year than I have in the past, hoping to get a jump on the heat. Many of the vegetables can't take the heat that builds up in the greenhouse in the summer, but many of them thrive. I added some new soil to the raised beds, some of which we bought, and some from a compost pile we have, so I am expecting really good results. Towards the end of April, or in May, I hope to plant a field of corn, and also plant my outside raised beds. I get so much satisfaction from gardening and growing our own food, and cannot recommend it enough. I think I probably fail as much as I succeed, but every year I learn and every year become a little more successful. I am grateful to my gardener friends for all the advice they give me every year.
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Shipping Cost Reduction
I recently negotiated with UPS for a reduction in shipping rates. They have been steadily climbing for awhile now, so it might not seem cheaper, and this might just be offsetting their rate increases, but I am hoping it will be a little more reasonable. I have also ordered a new kind of liner, and if it works out, packaging costs will be less, and more eco friendly. If all goes well this also could result in lower shipping costs to you. Yahoo!
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Crazy March Weather
We went back and forth from winter to spring in March. Woke up to this lovely snow one morning last week. Took this picture from the front door. It was serene, and provided some much needed moisture.
And then a day or so later I took this picture
at sunset from the back porch.
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Coronavirus Special
Sorry, no special this month.
Freezers are almost empty!
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This is a time to celebrate, and while this Easter may not be like so many in our past, we need to take inventory of our many blessings, most especially the gift of eternal life through God's Son. We will be celebrating a Christian Passover this Wednesday, something we have been doing for 30 years now. I cannot recommend it enough. It is a time to remind each other not only of the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery to Egypt, but also our slavery to sin and death. Once a year we gather with our family at the table and tell them what God has done, and that He promises eternal life to all who enter in and believe. And this victory is crowned with the celebration of Easter, proof that He was who He said He was. May you be blessed during this wonderful time of celebration.
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In Closing . . .
This has been one crazy month. While shutting down the country took us all by surprise, the surge in our meat sales completely blindsided us. Being so rural we were unaware that folks were stripping the grocery store shelves bare of so many essential items, especially meat. That being said, we are grateful for your orders and sincerely hope that we can help you stay well fed and healthy.
Soon they will be turning on the irrigation water and Allan will be working very hard trying to keep the water moving across the land and keeping the grass growing tall. He has made lots of improvements over the last few years that we hope will make it easier on him. We live just a few miles away from Navajo Lake, a beautiful reservoir, and we would love to be able to spend more time going to the lake, and maybe even taking a boat out on it. With the country in lock down mode it does give one a new perspective on life.
God bless you all. Enjoy getting to know your family better. Plant a garden. Life is good.
Lois & Allan
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Contact Information
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Phone:
970-582-0166
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